Redemption (part 2)

All week, I have been thinking about something that our pastor said on Sunday. He was talking about the passage in Luke 11 where the friend knocks on his neighbor's door, asking for bread. He keeps knocking and asking, knocking and asking. Finally, the neighbor gives him the bread that he is requesting.

Typically in sermons that I've heard, the conclusion of this passage is that the neighbor is kind of like God, and if we keep asking we'll eventually gain our request. Persistence pays off!

But here's what our pastor said that has been stirring in my heart this week:

The present image of God, effectually, is that we believe God is evil....but Jesus says, “How much more, how much more, how much more will your heavenly Father who sees what you need give you what you need.”  There is no hesitancy or resistance on the Father’s part to pour out his Spirit.  But the church culture has acclimated us to not expect anything from God unless we beat our head on the walls.  We just assume He’s too hard to ask.  It will take too much to ask.  He has a hard heart.  You are going to keep pounding and only get a sore hand out of it.

If we’re not getting what we are asking for then one of the answers is God is a hard God.  Too hard, too mysterious, too difficult.   

Oh Lord, I had to ask myself, do I really see you that way?!

My first response was, no way! I don't see God like that.

But, when I dug a little deeper, I began to see that there are many ways that I see my Father as harsh. This applies to a number of areas in my life (for example, in our church, we're talking about this as we trust God for true revival, but I'll have to save that for another post). An area that God really brought to light this week is how I sometimes view Him in the area of adoption. 

Let me say, before I go on, that it is definitely not my intention to step on anyone's toes in what I say next and it's perfectly fine if you disagree with me. But, there is something that concerns me in the world of Christian adoption (Please know that this is a general concern. I am not thinking of anyone in particular). It's the idea that God's timing for an adoption is perfect and that if there is a long wait before the child is able to come home, then it is because God wants something else to happen first in the adoptive parent's lives or in the life of the child.

Now, I am not talking about waiting to adopt when a specific child is not involved. In that case, I believe that God may very well need to work some things out in the parent's lives before they can adopt (he's certainly done that in David's and my life). But, I am talking about the time after God has already revealed to the parents that they are to adopt a certain child.

In that case, I believe that our Heavenly Father does not delay! He does not desire for that child to live without parents a moment longer, no matter what the reason! He is the Great Redeemer. He is never the oppressor...never, no never, not ever!

If you have children, can you imagine sending one of them to an orphanage (or the red light district) for a week or two because there are things in your life that you need to work out?!

No! You would not send your child to one of these places. There could be nothing that you would need to work on in your life that would justify having your child experience that kind of abuse and neglect for an hour, much less weeks, months or even years.

So then how do we explain the wait if God does not delay?

It's simple.

Sin

Perhaps it's our own sin (unbelief, lack of faith, etc.). I know that this is true of me, although I am fighting against it! It's definitely the sin of governments (lack of justice, lack of care), birth parents (abandonement, neglect), and others.

But our Father is never the oppressor.

Our Father is never the oppressor.

Our Father is never the oppressor.

He is the Redeemer!

As I meditate on this truth, I am given new courage.

I can ask and know that He hears.

I can ask and know that He cares.

I can ask and know that He does not delay.

I am trusting in our wonderful Redeemer today.

Do the thing that You do, oh Lord!

Redeem!